Device for cutting the terminal eccentric run-out groove on phonograph records



Jan. 3, 1950 VAN ps 2,493,511

DEVICE FOR CUTTING THE TERMINAL EccENTRIc RUN-OUT GROOVE 0N PHONOGRAPH RECORDS Filed Jan. 22, 1948 INVENTOR FRED VAN EPS latented Jan. 3, 1950 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR CUTTING THE TERMINAL EC- CENTRIC RUN OUT GROOVE ON PHONO- RECORDS Fred Van 'Eps, Plainficld, N. J.

Application Januar 22, 1948, Serial No. 3,763

8'Cla'ims. 1

This i-nventionrelates to sound recording equipintent, and more particularly to a device for use in conjunction with such equipment for cutting atrminal, eccentric run-out groove on a record, the *run-out groove being a continuation of the sound-track groove of the record.

The desirability of providing a terminal eccentric 'run out'groove on 'a record for swinging the pick-up arm inwardly toward the center of the recordaft'er the needle has traversed the sound track groove is 'well known. Better-grademodern 'phbn'ographs are usually equipped with an automane stopping mechanism which is actuated "during-'the'inwa'rd swing of-the pick-up arm along the eccentric run-out groove. Furthermore the automatic record-changing mechanisms of phonographs are also actuated during the inward movement'of the pick-up arm toward thecen'ter ofthe record along the run-out groove.

iiccordingly, it-is an'object of the invention to provide an improved device for use in "sound recording"apparatus forrapidly and 'efiici'ently cutting "a terminal eccentric run-out groove on "'a record.

A furtherobject of the invention is the profvision of agroove cutting device of the character indicated which'is designed and "constructed in such "a manner that the cutting needle may "be 'easily adjusted at the end of the sound track 'g'roo'v'e prior 'to the formation of the "eccentric 'run o'if groove-so that the run-off groove willinvariablyforma continuationof the soundtrack "groove.

Another object ofthe invention is'theprovision of a groove-cutting device capable of b'eingea'sily adjusted, prior to the formation ofthe eccentric run-off groove, at the end of the sound track "gro'ove'despite the particular length of a given "sound track'groove and the location of the end of th'esound track'with respect to-the'center of the "record.

The foregoing objects as well as a'dditional'ob- 'jects and advantages of the invention will be readily understood in'the course'of the following "detaileddescription taken in connection with the "accompanying drawing, which'illustrates a pre- "ferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein: l is'a pl'an'view'of a device embodyingilie ;features of the invention operativel'y connected "to a recording apparatus, only a fragmentary 'p'or- 'tion'oftheturnt'ablebeing shown.

FigfiZ is an elevational viewtakensubstantially albrigiille -t yof Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be understood that the groove-cutting device of "the invention may be used in conjunction with any conventional type of recording apparatus including a turntable I ll havinga centering pin (not shown) for mounting a record disc I I thereupon. The device comprises an arm 42 adapted to be "swung toward and away from the turntable I'll in both a horizontal plane and in a vertical plane. It will be understood that arm I 2 in its operative position is swingable on a substantially vertical axis. This purpose may be achieved by providing the outer end of the-arm with a pair of bearings l3 formed on a bearing yoke 14, each of the bearings I3 being pivoted on a lateral horizontal extension l5 of a horizontally rotatable bearing It, the bearing lzl being fixedly mounted on the frame or plate supporting the turntable I0. Bearing It may also be provided with a forward "extension I? for receiving the end of an adjusting screw l8 carried by arm l2 in order to limit the downward motion of said arm about the'horizontal pivots l5. 7

The free inner end of arm ["2 carries a cutting needle I9 which may be inserted within a mount or block 20 and secured'by means of a set screw 2|. In order to control the depth of the cut, Ia movable pin 22 may be supported within the mount or block 2e by means of a leaf spring 23 fixed at one end to arm l2 and having a recess at its other end engaging a pair of slots or depressions formed in said pin, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A thumb screw 24 may be used to extend or retract pin 22 to any desiredpoint "above the end of needle [.9 thereby controlling "the'depth of the run-out groove to be formed on the record disc H. A set screw 25 is a1so.pro- 'vided for retaining the pin 22 in adjustedposition.

A leverzii is pivoted as at'zl to the inner arm [2, said lever carrying at its free end a vpin or follower 2 8, which may be secured by means of a set screw 29, for a purpose to be fully described hereinbelow. A tension spring so normally urges lever 2t toward arm l? but the distance between the pin or follower 28 of lever 25 and cutting needle [9 may be varied by means of an adjustbyretracting or advancing said screwthelever will move toward or 'awayfrom the arm [2 about pivot '21. Pivot 27' is: preferably shaped-as a plug r kn'obhavinga knurledhead, as shown in 'Fi'g. 2," to"-i-acili tate the maniplilation ofarm 'lz toward and away from turntable l during the operation of the device.

The device also comprises as a separate element an eccentric disc 34 which cooperates with lever 26 of arm I'2 to form a terminal eccentric runout groove on the record in a manner now to be described. Eccentric disc 34 is constructed to fit over the centering pin of turntable l0 and to rotate therewith, it being understood that the record II is placed upon the turntable before mounting the removably securable eccentric 34 in position. In order to mount the disc 34, said disc may be provided with hub 35 carrying a chuck 36 therewithin, the chuck being operated by a control knob 31, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. An annular groove 38 is formed in eccentric disc 34 adjacent the periphery thereof for the reception of the follower or pin 28 of the lever 26. r

In actual operation the arm I! is swung inwardly toward the turntable l0 carrying the record I I after first securing the eccentric disc 34 over the centering pin of the turntable, the follower or pin 28 being then engaged within the groove 38 (see Figs. 1 and 3). It will be understood of course that the sound track groove has previously been cut in the record by conventional apparatus not illustrated in the drawing. The cutting needle I9 is then adjusted to lie within the end of the sound track groove (not shown) by manipulating adjusting screw 3| to obtain the proper distance between the follower 28 resting within annular groove 38 and the cutting needle l9. This latter operation may be facilitated by preadjusting the screw 18 adjacent bearing IE to elevate the arm l2 so that the tip of the needle I9 will be raised slightly above the surface of the record. Then, after the proper setting of adjusting screw 3| has been obtained, the screw l8 may be retracted to allow the needle to seat itself within the groove at the end of the sound track and to permit free operation of the arm [2 thereafter. Then as the turntable revolves the cutting needle [9 will move inwardly to form the eccentric run-out groove asiollower 2.8 moves within annular groove 38 of eccentric disc 34. .It will of course be understood that the high point or major dimension of the disc 34 will face toward the cutting needle l9 at the start of the groove cutting operation so that subsequent synchronous rotation of the disc with the turntable l0 and record H will move the cutting needle !9 inwardly to form the eccentric runout groove.

If, desired, arm l2 may be provided with an electric bulb 39 and wire 40 for illuminating the record in the vicinity of the cutting needle as the run-out'groove is cut.

Since certain modifications may be made in the device of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawing be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for cutting terminal, eccentric runout grooves in records having previously out sound tracks, said device comprising a turntable having a centering pin, an eccentric disc removably securable to said centering pin and rotatable therewith, said disc having a peripheral annular groove, an arm pivotally mounted at its outer end on a substantially vertical axis, a cutting needle carried at the inner end of said arm, a lever pivoted to said arm and carrying a follower atits free end engageable within said annular an elongated off-center 2,493,511 T v l groove, and adjustable means for locating said follower a predetermined distance from said cutting needle at the end of the record sound track, whereby rotation of said turntable and eccentric disc will provide an eccentric run-out groove continuous with the sound track of the record.

2. A device for cutting terminal, eccentric runout grooves in records having previously out sound tracks, said device comprising a turntable having a centering pin, an eccentric disc removably securable to said centering pin and rotatable therewith, said disc having a peripheral annular groove, an arm pivotally mounted at its other end on a substantially vertical axis, a cutting needle carried at the inner end of said arm, a movable pin carried by said arm adjacent said cutting needle and adjustable to a predetermined level above the end of said needle for varying the depth of the cut groove, a lever pivoted to said arm and carrying a follower at its free end engageable within said annular groove, and adjustable means for locating said follower a predetermined distance from said cutting needle at the end of the record sound track, whereby rotation of said turntable and eccentric disc will provide an eccentric run-out groove continuous with the sound track of the record.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1, said eccentric disc having an elongated, ofi-center hub, a chuck within said hub and a control knob for locking said chuck upon said centering pin.

4. A device in accordance with claim 2, said eccentric disc having an elongated, ofi-center hub, a chuck within said hub and a control knob for locking said chuck upon said centering pin.

5. A device for cutting terminal, eccentric runout grooves in records having previously cut sound tracks, said device comprising a turntable having a centering pin, an eccentric disc removably securable to said centering pin and rotatable therewith, said disc having a peripheral annular groove, an arm pivotally mounted at its outer end on a substantially vertical axis, a cutting needle carried at the inner end of said arm, a lever pivoted to said arm and carrying a follower at its free end engageable within said annular groove,

'a tension spring interconnecting said lever and said arm for normally urging said follower toward said cutting needle and an adjusting screw carried by said arm and engaging said lever for 10- cating said follower a predetermined distance from said cutting needle at the end of the record sound track, whereby rotation of said turntable and eccentric disc will provide an eccentric run-out groove continuous with the sound track of the record.

6. A device for cutting terminal, eccentric runout grooves in records having previously out sound tracks, said device comprising a turntable having a centering pin, an eccentric disc removably securable to said centering pin and rotatable therewith, said disc having a peripheral annular groove,

an arm pivotally mounted at its outer end on a substantially vertical axis, a cutting needle carried at the inner end of said arm, a movable pin carried by said arm adjacent said cutting needle ,andadjusta-ble to a predetermined level above 1 the end of said needle for varying the depth of l the cut groove, a lever pivoted to said arm and lower a predetermined distance from said cutting REFERENCES CITED needle at the end of the record sound track, whereby rotation of said turntable and eccentric disc will provide an eccentric run-out groove continuous with the sound track of the record. UNITED STATES PATENTS '7. A device in accordance with claim 5, said Number Nme Date eccentric disc having an elongated, off-center hub, 1 195 101 Schifiman Aug 15 1916 a chuck within said hub and a control knob for 1801'404 Wm 1931 locking said chuck upon said centering pin.

8. A device in accordance with claim 6, said ecl0 centric disc having an elongated, off-center hub, a chuck within said hub and a control knob for locking said chuck upon said centering pin.

FRED VAN EPS.

The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

